River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-11-24
& FAMOUS EXPLORER.
The Career, achievements aud Death OF
yitus Dehrins.

Yitus Dehrins.
Il Is now Just twenty years since our
Government bought Of Russia all her
possessions on this continent. Since
that purchase Alaska has been made
familiar 10 us in the reports Of officials.
Of scientific explorers. Of traders and
Il tourists. The earlier history Of the
Territory is full OF interest. for il is
marked 10y undertakings Of the most
intrepid daring and Of heroic advent
ure. That was a bold plan that
directed from s. Petersburg an ex-
petition across the nOr1h Of Asia. the
building If vessel on the Eastern
coast. aud the discovery of a separate
continent on the opposite side of the
Pacific. That plan was formed in the
mind If Peter the Great, and it was
carried into execution BY Behring.
whose name has since been connected
with the sea and the strait which lie
between the continents.
Viius Bshring (Bcring) was a Dane.
He was born at the village of Hursen.
Jutlaud. in 1851 As young man. he
sailed in Danish vessels to the East
and West Indies In 1706 he entered
the service of Peter the Great. and was
assigned to the navy which had just
been built n CrOnstadt. The appoint
ment If Behring 10 the command of a
scientific expedition in the Sea of
Kamschatka was made January %,
l725. On the 9TH of February Behring
started from s.. Peters burg. aud three
days later his imperial master died
So difficult was the journey overland
that il was not until the summer If
the following year that Behring. with
the advance detachment. reached the
Sea Of Ochotsk. Behring then built
boat to carry the party over the sea.
He had brought men from Russia for
this purpose. The craft was christcned
The Fortune The last of June. 1927.
il carried over to Kamchaika the ship
builders who were to build the vessel
intended for the great voyage.
Their ship-yard was established at
the mouth of the Kamsghatka river. The
next winter was spent in preparing
timbers for the vessel. and on the 10th
4 July. 172S. it was ready for The
voyage. Three years and half had
gone bv since Behring and his party
had set out from St. Petersburg. The
Gabriel-for that was The name of the
ship-sailcd northeast along the coast
Of Asia. On the 10;h Of August
the Island Of St. Lawrence was discoy-
cred. Five DAYS later they rounded
cape in latitude g. dec. Is min.
north. Here the coast line turned
sud lenly 10 the west Behring had
proved that the continents we're sepa-
rase. The party returned TO the ship
yard and wintered there. On the 9TH
If june. 1929. they left again on a
voyage of exploration. but were I'M
successful, aud Behring returned over
land 10 y. Petersburg.
Il was not until 1892 that proposals
were made for another expedition.
Anna was now Z nprcss, and she was
ambitious to extend the boundaries of
Russia. She directed that special at
tention be given to the possibilities of
a northeast passage along the Amer
lean coast. Behring's plan was to
push across 10 the coast of America.
aud trace il nOrthward to the strait he
had discovered. The plan gave Behring
her possessions in America The party
left 5. Petersburg eai!y I'm 1873 They
built two vessels on the Sea of OchOtsk
Seven years had been spent when. in
the St. Peter and the ST. Paul. they
sail over TO Kamschatka and win
tered there. On the 4.h of June. 1741.
Bchring started on his last voyage He
was in command of the st. Peter july
Is the American cOast was sighted IN
latitude - deg, . min. north. They
followed the dangerous coast TO the
west, meeting head-winds all the time.
Scurvy broke ont. and b hiring was
confined to his cabin. y council was
held, and it was resolved 10 return to
Kamschaika. The st. Paul was lost.
On the eth Of November m island was
sighiod-the last discovery Behring
was to make Ii was named for him.
Here they landed for winter quarters
The commander was carried on shore
November .. and he died Deem Der
10 The survivors of that winter built
a boat from the wreck OF The St. Peter,
aud they reached Kamschalka on the
9th Of August 1872. - Youths COM
TaliOH.